Award winners RJA

On 23 May, second-year student at the Rotterdam Jazz Academy (RJA) of Rotterdam Conservatoire Stephanie Francke has won the Junior Jazz Award Zeeland 2010. The finals of the competition – initiated by the Zeeuwse Muziekschool – were held during the International Jazzfestival Middelburg. There were two award categories: professional students and amateur musicians. Stephanie and her quartet won in the first category.
See for more information: www.scheldejazz.nl.

The band Raw Kandinsky, with a line-up of four RJA students, have won the Xl Jazz Contest at the Brussels Jazz Marathon last May. The Dutch four-man band, featuring Quirijn Vos (trumpet), Johan de Pue (guitar), Martin Masakowski (double bass) and Tijn Jans (drums), play their own modern jazz compositions.
See for more information: www.brusselsjazzmarathon.be.

And early last June, the jury of the Dutch Jazz Competition (DJC) expressed its admiration for alto and soprano saxophone player and RJA student Jasper van Damme by making him the winner in the category Best Soloist. Van Damme will officially accept the award at the DJC finals at the North Sea Jazz Festival on 10 July. Said finals on that day are between four candidates, among which the Castel/Van Damme Quintet featuring pianist and former RJA student Thierry Castel and, again, Jasper van Damme.

See for more information: www.dutchjazzcompetition.nl.